Kym Pyke

Feeling a bit crook this weekend guys - promise I'll get through as many questions as I can and I'll get back into them first thing Monday morning! Sorry :(

Favourite Thing: I like to learn about the world around me. If I have something I’m not sure how it works, I like to investigate and see how it operates, and fits in with everything around it. The best thing about my job is that I work in a lab with people who like to play and learn like I do, so we can have fun with science every day!

In my lab we do haematology, biochemistry, transfusion, basic microbiology, urine drugs of abuse screening and blood gas testing. Any more complex testing is collected and flown each night to Perth for testing.

Since my lab is part of a hospital the 4 scientists also work on-call, so some weeks we can be called in anytime of the night to do blood tests (normally for transfusions).

Tell us a joke.

Sports followed

Favourite team

Helpful Tips

Before you apply, take a look at our advice on filling out the application form, including writing the all important one sentence description of your work.

The 13/14 year old students are from all across the ability range, and prefer it if you use language they understand: deadly not pathogenic, find not identify, use not utilize.

Use imaginative language to describe your work, to grab the students’ attention by giving a real sense of what your work involves.

Show your one sentence desciption to someone else - not a scientist working in your field!

Scientists

I'm a Scientist is about giving school science students an insight into How Science Works, now science is a part of modern life and where their science qualifications might take them. It's therefore open to:-

Practising research scientists (in academia or industry), from PhD students upwards. This includes 'sciencey' jobs which aren't strictly speaking research - for example, a microbiologist testing samples for the Health Protection Agency would qualify.

The peer review process, science education, and science funding are also essential parts of the business of science. We are therefore also happy to include trained scientists who no longer research, but work in publishing or communicating science, in education, or in grant-giving. For example, journal editors, museum curators, grant managers, education officers. Although science teachers are a crucial part of preparing the next generation of scientists, I'm afraid we don't include teachers in this as it's about teenagers getting to talk to people they wouldn't get to normally.

We will also, in themed zones, sometimes include relevant experts in non-science fields who can add another perspective and deepen students understanding of the issues - for example, we included a bioethicist in our Stem Cells zone. Historians, sociologists, philosophers of science, policy-makers may also be relevant in certain themed zones.

Scientists will normally need to hold, or be studying for, a PhD. In some circumstances however we will waive this - for example, in one of our STFC zones we included a laboratory technician from ISIS, as they could give a different insight into the workings of a large scientific research facility.

It's impossible to write guidelines which cover every edge-case. If you are still not sure if you're eligible, but would like to apply, then please get in touch and we can discuss your background and give you some guidance.